Arcadia Italy

Dear Siracusani and future Siracusani,

Combining my years as a student and those as a resident in Italy, I have now spent 30 years dedicated to the promotion and divulgation of Italy and Italian culture. My main areas of focus have always lived in contemporary Italy, that is Italy beyond World War II, "free" Italy. I have spent my adult life falling in and out of love with Italy, stripping away at its edges, interpreting its complexities for others, trying to make sense of its contrasensi, or that which goes against reason.

Not many of my thirty years, therefore, have been dedicated to what came before - long before - contemporary Italy. Admittedly, I use the Ancient, the Medieval, the Renaissance only to draw parallels and to make connections to the human condition today. Luckily, we surround ourselves with professors who not only shine as academics but also have that hard-to-come-by skill of instilling the joy of learning and discovery in their students.

One such person is Professor Davide Tanasi, a veritable time traveller. I recently described him as "professor of all things that link the ancient to the inventive" and that seems to sum it up quite well. Davide (and many of our faculty in Rome and Sicily) would be perfectly at home on that program my nieces and nephews love, The Big Bang Theory but equally as comfortable in a conference hall or at a pizza party with students. He has found a way to adapt a gizmo from an X-box-something-or-other to help students and, indeed, curators to create 3D images of statues and models. From here, he is able to create exciting films and reconstructions of the ancient world, bringing them to life even for non-believers like me (many of his productions have won prestigious awards).

Time spent with Professor Tanasi is a bit like an amusement park for brain and body: he has the Indiana Jones hat and whip, students get to don hard hats and knee pads and use exciting equipment on real-life digs.

Davide has been known, as well, to convert students to his field. He values the dedication and learning power of each of his students and repays their dedication trifold. He even collaborated recently on a prestigious poster presentation which his former student, Stephan Hassam, presented in his stead at the Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America​ ​​in New Orleans. They won second prize for Best Poster Presentation.

​While this entry does not pretend to address scientifically the bravura and depth of experience and recognition our professors all share, it does invite them to begin to post their achievements and contributions here for our students and aspiring students to see.